Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd along with Wacker Chemie AG officials announced the company will build a new production plant for its HDK brand of pyrogenic silica at its Charleston site in Southeast Tennessee. Wacker will invest $150 million in the new production facility and create 50 new jobs in Bradley County.
“Our goal to make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs is made possible when successful companies choose to grow and create new opportunities for citizens throughout the state. We are grateful to Wacker for its decision to further invest in Tennessee by building a new production plant in Charleston,” Haslam said. “While in Germany last month, I had an opportunity to visit with several members of Wacker’s North American and German leadership teams who proudly shared with me that Wacker celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2014. I look forward to Wacker’s continued growth in Bradley County and seeing the company reach many milestones in Tennessee in the years to come.”
"Wacker announced its plans to join the Charleston business community less than eight years ago and in that short time, it has had a significant impact on the state. The company’s $2.5 billion investment represents the largest single investment in Tennessee’s history, and we’re proud to see that Wacker’s continued confidence in the state’s highly-skilled workforce and dedication to innovation has resulted in expanding its Tennessee footprint,” Boyd said. “On behalf of Team Tennessee, I’d like to thank Wacker for its new investment in Bradley County and for creating valuable jobs that will have a great impact on area residents.”
“The additional capacities strengthen our market position as a leading global producer of pyrogenic silica and help us to meet our customers’ growing demand,” Wacker CEO Dr. Rudolf Staudigl said. “The new plant is the next logical step toward expanding Charleston into a fully integrated silicon site in the world’s second largest chemical market.”
Wacker produces HDK pyrogenic silica in Burghausen and Nünchritz, Germany and Zhangjiagang, China. The Munich-based chemical company is the world’s third-largest manufacturer in this sector.
Located adjacent to and integrated with Wacker’s existing polysilicon plant, the new production plant will have an annual capacity of 13,000 metric tons. Construction will begin in the second quarter of next year, with completion planned for the first half of 2019.
The facility is a key addition to the Charleston site’s supply chain. The main byproduct of polysilicon manufacturing is tetrachlorosilane, which either has to be converted and fed back into the production loop or can be used to create added value by being further processed into HDK. Wacker achieves maximum flexibility in the reprocessing of tetrachlorosilane, avoiding the need to dispose of waste products and thereby enhancing the efficiency of the integrated production system as a whole.
The Tennessee Valley Authority and local officials applauded Wacker on its decision to further expand in Charleston, citing a decade-long relationship with the company.
“What a great Christmas present for Bradley County. This great news comes so quickly after the grand opening of the Wacker facility last spring. Wacker is already expanding its facilities and adding new jobs and tax base to our community,” Bradley County Mayor Gary Davis said. “We have had a very positive relationship with Wacker going back to 2005 when company officials first started looking at Bradley County. We’re very happy to see this new investment and look forward to a long and prosperous future with Wacker.”
“TVA congratulates Wacker on its latest announcement to expand and create new quality jobs and investment in Cleveland, Tennessee,” TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development John Bradley said. “It’s always an exciting day when an existing company is committed to continuing growth in the Valley, and we are pleased to partner with Cleveland-Bradley Chamber of Commerce and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to celebrate this announcement.”
Charleston and Bradley County are represented by Sen. Mike Bell (R – Riceville), Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R – Chattanooga), Rep. Kevin Brooks (R – Cleveland) and Rep. Dan Howell (R – Georgetown) in the Tennessee General Assembly.
About WACKER
WACKER (www.wacker.com) is a globally active chemical group headquartered in Munich, Germany. With a wide range of state-of-the-art specialty products, WACKER is a leader in numerous fields and industries. Its products are required in countless high-growth end-user sectors, such as photovoltaics, electronics, pharmaceuticals and household/personal-care products. In 2015, the Group generated sales of some €5.3 billion with a staff of 17,000 employees. Founded in 1914, WACKER operates 25 production sites, supplying over 3,200 products to more than 3,500 customers worldwide. The Group maintains subsidiaries and sales offices in 31 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia – including a strong foothold in China.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Team Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: www.tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tnecd.